Moments
by fuzzydream
Summary: Little stories written by request. Moments we don't see between Anna and Mr. Bates. All the series, sometimes AU, sometimes set in the future, sometimes canon. Prompt 15 - Anna and Bates's first time after 4.03.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hello! I've decided to post all the little prompts I've written, from what other people have asked me. All involving Anna and Bates, of course. :) They have all been posted on my tumblr but I guess it's always easier to find them here. I'll update as I post more too. There's no pattern here; deals with everything and nothing. Please excuse the writing too - none of these are edited (English is not my first language). Thoughts and other prompt suggestions are very much welcome! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Downton Abbey.

* * *

_Prompt by umbrella-ella27: Three sentences AU challenge: Setting in a WWII hospital. Anna is a nurse and Bates is a recovering soldier._

Destruction, deaths, blood - his dreams only consist of war these days. When he wakes up, the urgent voices of the hospital fill his ears and the kindest blue eyes he has ever seen smile at him.

And he sees peace for the first time in years.

* * *

_(Author's note: any resemblance to an actual story of mine here is NOT a coincidence :P)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Prompt by intrepidclass: Three sentences AU challenge: Modern AU. Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson are married. They own a restaurant which is run by Mr. Carson. Mrs. Hughes takes care of the catering jobs. Anna works for her, John works for him. And the older couple trick them into going on a blind date._

He hadn't expected anything from this; he thoroughly had doubted Mr. Carson matchmaking abilities and was sure he would either be stood up or end up entirely disappointed. His expectations were hardly much but as conversation flowed and her laughter captivated him once more, he knew there would be no way out this ever. Anna would have managed to exceed any expectations he ever could have had.


	3. Chapter 3

_Prompt by Anonymous: Three sentences Challenge: We see lots of fanfiction about Bates meeting his child for the first time... but almost no Anna. So how does Anna feel when she finally holds her baby?_

The baby isn't crying anymore and Anna takes in his appearance: a perfect little button nose, ten little fingers, ten little toes. He yawns lazily and she notices the baby boy has his father's eyes.

She falls in love for the second time in her life.

* * *

_Prompt by Anonymous: Your baby prompt from a while ago: can you ellaborate more?_

She looks up to see John lingering by the doorway, a mix of emotions on his face – relief, worry, happiness. Her heart swells with love for him and the new little person in their lives, one they both created together. She smiles and he repeats her action; she's sure she has never seen such an open smile from him in a long time.

A happy sob escapes her lips and the baby in her arms squirms a bit, making her look down again. His eyes are less alert now, as he's possibly on his way to sleep, and she wonders how such a small human being could hold so much of her love already. He has little hair, but Anna thinks it might be dark like his father's too.

After a moment, John is at her side, and she feels slightly embarrassed that she forgot him for a couple of moments, so enthralled as she was in meeting their baby son. Looking up, she sees the smallest trace of tears in her husband's eyes and smiles again.

"We have a son, Mr Bates," she says, and he lets out an incredulous chuckle. "Come sit with us."

He does, and she leans against his warmth just a bit as he looks down at their son.

"He's beautiful, Anna," he whispers, and she gulps silently to find her voice.

"Here, hold him," she says, her voice heavy with emotion. "He needs to meet his Papa."

John is clumsy but with a reassuring smile from her he takes the baby, impossibly small in his father's arms. Anna watches them closely, resting her head against John's shoulder as the baby's eyelids dropped slowly.

"He looks like you," John whispers and Anna frowns.

"He has your eyes," she tells him quietly. "And I'm thinking maybe your hair."

"Let's hope that's all he's got from me," he chuckles, then turns to look at Anna. "Thank you."

She shakes her head. "No. Thank _you_."


	4. Chapter 4

_Prompt by Anonymous: Three sentences challenge: Anna and Bates go to America after Vera refuses to give him the divorce._

They can see America now, and he has doubts again, but for once he pushes them aside. The golden ring on Anna's finger glistens against the sun as she touches his arm at the sight of land, and it might be a façade to the exterior world but to them it means more than that.

It means a new life, together.


	5. Chapter 5

_Prompt by Anonymous: John discovers the garter..._

He takes his time. It's their first night in the cottage, and even though most rooms need some cleaning, some walls still need some painting and some rooms still smell weirdly, it feels new. It's theirs and it's private and they're alone. At last.

Her skin is incredibly soft beneath his digits, her breaths mingle with his and they exchange a few words and some smiles. He feels like he will never wish for anything else if he could feel her kisses every day, if he could touch her anytime he wanted. The sheets smell clean and he slowly undoes the braid that held Anna's hair together. Somehow, he can't exactly remember, in the midst of their slow, tentative kisses they grew confident and he's now lying between her legs, her nightgown bundled over her hips. She has by now got rid of his undershirt, and very few layers separate them from becoming one. It is sweet torture but he does not wish to rush it. They have forever now.

He plants wet kisses on her neck and let his hands wander over her body, her sweet sighs enticing him more than ever; this is far better than his dreams. This is real.

Frustrated by the deliberate slowness of his actions, Anna quickly sits up to help him take her nightgown off, but when she reaches for his pants, he softly pushes her fully back to the bed, his hand slowly stroking her calf than working its way to the back of her knee. He trails kisses over her collarbone, and is prepared to descend when his fingers are met not by the soft skin of Anna's thigh – a sort of fabric, actually. His heartbeat increases as the seconds go by and he can see she is gulping silently before he looks down her body to see a white, delicate looking garter wrapped around the milky skin of her thigh.

God, the things Anna does to him.

He pulls away from her, fully intending to examine the garter a bit further. The lace is delicate and soft and not for the first time he wonders how on Earth Anna chose him. He kisses the skin just above the fabric and meets her eye.

"You naughty girl."

The words come out on their own accord in a whisper and his wife's eyes falter just a bit. He briefly thinks of taking the garter off in order to admire her naked body completely, but it looks too precious from his point of view at the moment for him to have the heart to take it off. No, he will leave it there for a while longer. Perhaps for quite some time. He wants to savour her and cherish her the way she should be cherished. He knows they have a lot of catching up to do after over a year, and he is desperate to not miss a single thing.

He kisses the inside of her thighs softly and looks up to see Anna biting her lip. He grins widely and she scolds at him, albeit good-naturedly, a smile escaping her lips after a moment. His hand strokes the garter once more as he kisses her skin again, the kiss of her shaky breath filling his ears.

He can't be certain that their forever will be always like this but he will make sure this will be the perfect start.


	6. Chapter 6

_Prompt by pekusita: How about some engagement? what happened between the "proposal" and vera's return? we don't see much apart from the little talk but ethel cock blocked them u.u_

Anna smiled as she met John's eye; it was far too dark in the stairwell for her to know if he was smiling but she could detect the smallest spark in his eyes and took it as a good sign. She had been smiling so much in the past two days she was sure her face would start hurting any minute now. But she couldn't stop it.

They were engaged. Mr Bates was her fiancé.

All too soon, they stopped; it was late and they needed to go to sleep soon. Anna let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to do. Ethel was still downstairs and everyone had already gone to bed, but she couldn't be sure. She briefly wondered if he would kiss her again. They were engaged, after all – surely there wouldn't be much wrong in that?

She stifled a giggle at her thoughts; she wasn't still used to them being engaged. To plan for the future, to think of children and a hotel, to call him John – it was all too much and too little at the same time. She still yearned for more.

He reached for one of her hands and stroked it softly. The hall was silent and his face was closer than before. Her breath mingled with his and suddenly his lips were against hers, soft and warm. He tasted of tea and peppermint. It didn't last long but it was somehow the perfect ending to a perfect day.

"Good night, Anna."

"Good night, _John_."

She went to bed with a smile on her face and a heart full of hopes. She couldn't wait to find out what new promises tomorrow would bring her.


	7. Chapter 7

_Prompt by intrepidclass: Modern AU, Anna is late from work while John makes a nice dinner for them since he's early. John gets worried when she doesn't answer her phone and gets angry when she shows up drenched from the rain, but changes his demeanor when he realizes something must have happened._

Dinner would be cold if Anna didn't get home soon. She had promised him she wouldn't stay more than necessary at work, and yet he had been waiting for a long time now. He was about to try to call her again when the front door opened. He was relieved to see Anna, mildly hurt that she hadn't called to let him know she'd be over an hour late, and her appearance immediately worried him. It was raining hard outside and she was completely drenched.

"Where were you?" John asked immediately, getting up from the couch as Anna came in. "God, Anna, I was almost taking the car to look for you."

"The car wouldn't work. I tried to take a look but I don't really understand…"

"Why didn't you call me?"

"My battery died," Anna explained quietly, closing her eyes for a moment as she took her coat off. "Since it wasn't raining then I thought I'd just walk home."

"All that way?" John asked incredulously. "Anna, please, next time just let me know. You should at least have taken a taxi. What about your car?"

"It's not that far, and Tom said he'd take a look at it for me," Anna said. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother the little time off you get."

John smiled. Of course Anna would think that. He shook his head and examined her drenched state, walking towards her.

"Don't apologise. I'm sorry I overreacted. I was just worried," John said quietly. "I'll run you a bath and then we'll have dinner."

"You've made dinner? Oh, John, but it'll be cold," Anna said.

"We can re-heat it later. I don't want you being sick because of the rain. No arguments," John told her, and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. "And you better call me next time."

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yes, husband," they exchanged a smile as she followed him upstairs. "And I accept your bath as long as you join me."

"We have a deal, Mrs Bates."


	8. Chapter 8

_Prompt by kellybccgtsfan: One thing I always wished we had seen was a scene between Anna and Bates comforting each other after William passed away. They both really cared for him so we know they had to have grieved for him. If they share a few kisses I wouldn't object either._

The door opens with a creak and John turns his head at the sound of it; he tries to smile but it's to no use, as Anna's sad eyes meet his. He stands up, leaving his cane by the crates, and Anna takes fast steps towards him, a sob escaping her lips as his arms envelop her. He wishes he could tell her everything would be all right, that William would be perfectly fine, but he knows better than that. There's nothing to be done. Tears stung in the back of his eyes, but he wants to be strong for her, he needs to be the comfort she deserves.

"Lady Edith says it won't be long now," Anna tells him after a moment, and she looks up at him with a red nose and tears on her cheeks. "Daisy is with him."

"As William would have wanted it," John says, bringing his hands to wipe her tears away. "You did a good job with Daisy's hair for the wedding."

"It was the least I could do," she smiles sadly. "There was so much for him in this life, though. It is not fair."

"War isn't fair," he says quietly. "I think of how many times I wished my life had ended with it and I see William now and it only seems more unfair."

She rests her head against his shoulder again, and he kisses her hair softly. Sometimes he would wonder why a second chance was given to him, long ago, and he is convinced the sole reason for that is the woman in his arms. He knows she is crying again, and he squeezes her waist softly.

"I don't know what I'd do if it were you," Anna mumbles after some time, pulling away to look at him.

"I'd have died as the happiest man on Earth with you as my wife," he says simply, and new tears threaten to fall from her eyes. His heart breaks at the sight of them, and he kisses her, languidly and slowly, and she sobs against his shoulders once more and, this time, he joins her. Despite everything, they are the lucky ones.

This is not their last kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

_Prompt by Anonymous: Baby names_

"What about Gregory?" Anna asked hopefully, but John immediately made a face, not even looking up from his book.

She sighed impatiently, putting the piece of paper on her nightstand and sitting back on the bed with some difficulty. The eight months of pregnancy weren't making her very at ease at the moment, and she was mildly annoyed at John for his apparent disinterest, when he had been the one to suggest they chose names beforehand.

"Honestly, John, the baby will be here in a few weeks and I'd like to not choose it in a hurry," she told him as she shifted on the bed to find a comfortable position. "We need a name."

Her husband closed the book and looked at her with a little pout; she had to try very hard to not kiss him, so adorable his expression was.

"We have a name," he stated simply, putting his book away.

Anna sighed, resting her hands over her swollen belly. "Yes, Eleanor. Which is a girl's name. We need a boy's name too."

"I'm fairly certain we'll have a daughter."

Anna nearly rolled her eyes at his response. "Fairly certain? Really?"

"Irish intuition," he grinned, resting one of his hands on top of hers.

Anna arched her eyebrows. "Now it's Irish intuition? I'm _fairly certain _you talked of Scottish blood around eight months ago when we were-"

"Anna," he interrupted, "Not in front of Ellie."

A smile formed on her lips and she shook her head at him. "You impossible, lovely man," she reached one hand to his cheek as he slowly stroked her belly. She could feel the baby moving inside of her. "You do know it might be a boy, don't you?"

"I do," he told her with a smile, "and I shall be the happiest man alive anyway. But I think we'll have a girl."

Anna pursed her lips for a moment and smiled; her husband was very endearing but also very stubborn.

"Well then," she started, "since you've already disapproved of all the boy's names I liked I have no choice but to choose John as our son's name."

"Anna, we've talked about that," John groaned.

"We have, and it's still my favourite name," she told him rather impatiently. "Since you had no interest, I have made up my mind."

"All right, give me that paper," he said at last and she smiled triumphantly. "I still think there's no reason."

"You're an Englishman before any Irish intuition made sense," Anna added sassily. "If anything, Ellie or John might find this story amusing one day."

He was quick to kiss her smug grin away.


	10. Chapter 10

Prompt by terriejane: Gardening

It was not unusual for him to go home in the afternoon for tea with Anna; he tried to do so as much as he could. Usually when he got home he'd hear the distinct sound of cups clattering in the kitchen and maybe a bit of babbling, if their little girl was awake from her afternoon nap. Today, however, he was met by silence.

The little kitchen was empty and he grew concerned. Perhaps Anna had taken Ellie to the village? She hadn't told him anything about it in the morning. His mind was slowly venturing to darker places, so he decided to check upstairs before taking any conclusions. Just as he was turning around, a figure outside the window caught his eye. Anna.

He let out a breath in relief and smiled. Anna was just working on the garden, probably. He left the kitchen and ventured into the small hall that led to the back door. Anna was crouching down, he realized, but she wasn't alone like he had initially thought. The tiny figure was standing up beside her, her tiny feet planted rather firmly on the ground as Anna showed her something. Eleanor was completely engrossed in whatever Anna was showing her, a look of amusement in her eyes. It was a very beautiful day, and the sun shone brightly against their light golden hair. It was impossible not to smile.

Whatever Anna was showing her erupted laughter from the baby girl, and John had to walk towards them, unable to remain hidden. Ellie saw him first, her bright eyes shining in excitement.

"Papa!" she squealed, raising her hand for him to see a strawberry. "Bewwy!"

Her speech was blurred but John smiled proudly at her; she was just a little under two years old, but every little new achievement made his heart swell with pride. He met Ellie halfway, bending down slightly to get her. He adjusted his cane and held the little girl in one arm as she proudly showed him the strawberry.

"Did you pick it up yourself?" John asked the baby, who smiled. Anna was standing up now. He noticed she was holding a little basket with strawberries. "How come yesterday you didn't let me pick some strawberries and today you have a basket of it?"

"She was completely enamoured by the strawberries when I was washing the clothes," Anna told him with a smile. "I picked one for her and she wanted to pick one herself. Next thing I know I had to go get a basket."

John laughed. "I'll need to get Ellie's help next time I want to attack your garden."

Anna grinned. "I think she'll be happy to do it," she cringed as she looked from him to Ellie. "No, Ellie, you can't eat that now," she exchanged a look with John. "We better wash these. Come on, I'll make you some tea."

"Don't worry," he said, kissing Ellie's soft hair and winking at his wife. "We can have strawberries instead."


	11. Chapter 11

_Prompt by herewestand: How about Bates' reaction after Anna's dance, finding out that she learned how to reel during their trip just for him?_

Her cheeks are rosy when she approaches him, an excited smile on her features but a touch of shyness there as well. For him, it's as if she's the only person in the room – much as it has been since she started dancing. Only his Anna could decide to learn how to reel and do so without him suspecting. Of course he knew she was up to something, but the dance was completely unexpected.

Their eyes meet and he can't help but smile; sometimes he still has trouble believing she's his wife. They are momentarily interrupted by Lady Mary calling Anna – possibly to compliment her dancing – before Anna is finally free to go to him. She stops by his side, gently lacing her fingers through his and he can feel the warmth of her body close to his and hear her breathing, still irregular from reeling. It really is a shame they are in a public place.

"Hello," she says a bit breathlessly.

"Anna," he whispers, "that was wonderful."

A bright smile erupts in her face. "So you liked it?"

"I loved it."

"It's such a difficult dance. I had a bit of a trouble with it," she confesses, cringing slightly. "But oh, it really is such fun."

He smiles again, and he's desperate to kiss those soft lips of hers, but propriety stops him. He doesn't think of his inability to dance nowadays; he doesn't mind and if the sight of his wife dancing makes him so happy, he is sure she needs to dance more. The fact that she did learn that dance, just for him, makes his heart swell with love. She has done so much for him, ever since they first met, and he is sure this is still only the beginning. He squeezes her fingers gently, briefly wondering if he could work on such a nice surprise for her as well.

"It's rather hot in here," Anna comments, shifting just a bit closer. "Do you think it's too early for us to be excused?"

He fights the urge to chuckle and looks at her with a grin instead. Her face betrays nothing. The urge to kiss her is almost uncontrollable. His wife is, indeed, marvelous.

"I think we can be excused now, for a few moments," he acquiesces. She smiles.

He can work with a few moments to make his wife happy.


	12. Chapter 12

_Prompt by handy-for-the-bus: I know we won't see it and I wish we could: Anna and Bates reaction/support/speaking about to Mathew's death (if it could be set in their cottage I would be happy) =D thank you x_

Anna closed the cottage's door with a thud louder than intended. Her feet hurt and her mind was spinning. So much could change in a few hours and the joyful mood she woke up in earlier in the day was completely gone by now. Shock, confusion and fear replaced it.

All had been quite hectic. She had spent a good part of the day with Lady Mary and the other half of it was spent getting everything ready for her mistress and her baby at the Abbey. The shocking news left everyone is a somewhat unbelievable state of mind, and she feared her mind hadn't yet processed all the information. Where was justice, in killing a new father on the day his child was born? Such a tragedy, and no one could really understand it.

She rubbed her eyes as she walked down the hall and stopped by the parlor's entrance. Her husband was standing up, obviously ready to meet her halfway, and her breath immediately caught in her throat. She had lost her husband more than once – to life, to his honor, to prison, to lies. But he had always come back to her, safe and sound, ready to wipe away her tears and make her smile again. She was so happy these days; they had made the cottage into such a loving home, and their marriage was so much better than she ever thought it would be.

She supposed Lady Mary would too say the same. She had a happy marriage, and a new baby to care for. No one could have imagined Mr. Crawley would die in such a way.

John's eyes were soft and comforting and she had missed him so very much. With all the work and so much happening, they hadn't had time to have a proper conversation alone. And suddenly, it was all so raw – that anything could happen to anyone, and she knew more than anyone how life could change in a few hours. Her husband opened his arms to her and she somehow managed to take a few steps towards him. His warmth invaded her and a sob escaped her lips, but she took a deep breath and inhaled her husband's scent, never wanting to forget it.

Life was too unpredictable to take anything for granted.


	13. Chapter 13

_Prompt by Anonymous: Anna is feeling self-conscious about her body after the birth of their first child. John works very hard to reassure her._

Ellie was already asleep when Anna tied her robe around her waist and stood up carefully to not wake the baby. This was a daily occurrence now; they had been graced with a good baby, who was usually fast asleep as soon as her evening meal was finished. Just a little over a month old, they had yet to hear Eleanor cry properly – usually quiet whimpers were enough to get Anna's attention and the baby could always be soothed fairly easily, either by her mother or her father.

It didn't make Anna any less tired, though; her whole schedule was around Eleanor and her own baby schedule, which was still being slowly formed. Walking with the baby's head resting on her shoulder, Anna put her on her cot, in the corner of the bedroom closest to her side of the bed, and Ellie barely moved a muscle as Anna adjusted the blanket around her, a smile playing on her face.

She watched her baby sleeping for a moment longer and looked at the time; John would be home soon. Deciding to get ready for bed – she had been in the middle of a bath when she heard Ellie's hungry whimper –, she untied her robe and reached for a nightgown, catching her reflection in the mirror as she did so and stopping just for a moment.

Her body had changed quite a bit after Ellie was born, and she couldn't help but notice her waist wasn't as slim as before and her breasts weren't quite the same now that she was nursing. She had expected this, of course, and she could never regret anything, but it made her feel odd somehow; she was different person, inside and out. She was a mother now.

Through the mirror, she caught a pair of eyes looking at her, and she noticed his smile immediately, which kept her from tying the robe once more. He was leaning against the doorframe, having probably arrived when she was singing to Ellie and she didn't hear it; John was usually so quiet to not disturb them.

She smiled at him too, though she felt a bit exposed and vaguely insecure. Taking a deep breath, she caught his gaze and locked it with hers. "Do you think I put on too much weight?"

His smile was quickly replaced by a frown, and he stepped into the bedroom. "What? Of course not."

"I mean with Ellie," she explained, "I know I look different now. I feel like my waist has doubled the size it was-"

"You are exaggerating, my love," John snickered, coming to a stop just behind her. She felt his hands on her sides through the robe's layer. He placed a kiss on her temple. "Your waist is perfect."

"I looked like a whale just a month ago," Anna said stubbornly, leaning into him.

"You looked beautiful. And you look even more beautiful now," John added, his hands now caressing the skin of her stomach languidly. "What brought this on?"

"We own a mirror, that's what brought this on," Anna told him softly. He was kissing her neck now and she was increasingly finding it difficult to control her breathing. "I don't know how you can still look at me and see the same."

He stopped his ministrations for a moment and looked her in the eye through the mirror, his hands still caressing her skin.

"Of course I don't see you the same," he told her, his hands making slow, lazy circles that made her skin feel like it was on fire. "You are beautiful, Anna. You are even more beautiful now than you were a few years ago and yes, you have changed. You are the mother of my child, and you are my wife. I swear I have never desired you as much as I desire you now."

She nearly moaned when one of his hands brushed against her breast, and she turned her head to look at him properly now. His eyes were dark and honest, and she believed in him, in his words. He turned her around in his arms and captured her lips in a slow, languid kiss; her hands were on his chest and one of his own pushed her close to him, almost as close as possible. They parted and caught their breaths, John's free hand caressing her cheek and her hair. Her swift fingers were already unbuttoning his shirt.

"Did I manage to convince you?" he whispered, his hand toying with her robe.

Anna smiled. "I might need some more convincing from you."

Her robe fell to the floor. John kissed her again.

"It'll be my pleasure, Mrs Bates."


	14. Chapter 14

_Prompt by Anonymous: The first time John tells Anna he loves her. (I just know he told her before the pub scene!)_

She sits down beside him, and for a moment none of them speaks, too wrapped up in the day's events; he sees her furrowing her eyebrows together, in worry, and he knows that she's thinking of the war, of the lives that would be lost, of the changes this will bring.

For him, however - it is a relief to end such a day with a sight of her, however worried she may be. It is comforting to feel the heat from her hand, just a few inches from his own. He finds solace in her golden locks and bluer than blue eyes, in her soothing voice as she speaks her mind. They both know he won't be going off to war. He sees relief in her expression as well. And when she laces their fingers together, he knows she feels the same comfort he does. And when her eyes bore to his, he knows this is not only his solace, but hers as well.

"I love you."

This time, the words come from him, and not from her - not in the light of a sunny day, but in the dark of a night of change. How different they are, he thinks even now, even in this situation. There is so much against them, but he finds that he cannot hide it anymore. He knows she already knows of this, but he also knows that no one is more deserving of hearing it than her.

He cannot promise her anything, and she asks for nothing. Tonight, empty excuses aren't made, and he sees unshed tears in her eyes before they are closed - along with the distance between them.

And in this dark evening she tastes sweeter than any sunny afternoon.


	15. Chapter 15

_Prompt by Anonymous: I was wondering if maybe you could post a little thing about Anna and Bates's first time after 4.03?_

His hands are soft and tentative and like feathers on her skin. His eyes are cautious, his breath is hot and his scent is intoxicating. She had been worrying about this, but now… now it makes sense. It's him. Her husband. Her best friend, her confident. His touch isn't different from before – it's magical, it's enough to set her on edge. He is nothing but careful and considerate. He is John, and for the first time she is sure she can do this – for him, for loving him, for needing him.

She finds herself breathing hard too, following his movements and even smiling as he whispers loving words, his voice making her tremble, so close to her ear. He peppers her with kisses as his hands wander over her body, and she does the same to him – she slowly becomes an avid participant, as she has always been. His lips are teasing as they work their way down her body and her breath hitches as she stares into his dark eyes – she sees nothing but love, but adoration in them, and she desperately needs to be his once again, forever.

Her pleading whispers bring him back to her once more and he kisses her passionately as she clutches to his shoulders, desperately needing to be closer to him. He acquiesces, positioning himself right over her, and his eyes are questioning. Hers aren't hesitant as they meet his, and she nods before he eases himself into her. She closes her eyes and her breath catches as memories come to her mind. She isn't sure if she can do it.

He stops at that exact moment and she feels a hand on her cheek, soft and adoring; she opens her eyes. And sees him again. A wave of emotion hits her, and she feels tears in her eyes as he whispers vows of love to her. She moves underneath him. She needs to be his again. And suddenly, they are one.

John kisses her then, his body still for this one moment and she kisses him back, bringing her hands to his cheeks and marvelling in the sweetness of his lips. Her hands find his hair as he plants kisses on her jaw and collarbone, his rhythm tentative and yet deliciously slow as she matches up with him. She wraps her legs around his waist and urges him on. They lock eyes as they reach a steady, fast rhythm, and she let out a moan, one of her hands clutching at his shoulders as the other traces the features of his face. It's only him – it will always be him. He whispers his love to her over and over until she cries out; he laces their fingers together and kisses her hand, his movements turning erratic as he soon follows her into the abyss.

When she opens her eyes he is above her, their erratic breaths mingling, his eyes questioning. She realises she has tears on her face and smiles, reaching up to kiss his lips softly before taking a deep breath. She smiles and breathes in his scent as he bends down to kiss her temple. Things may never be as they were before but he has always been hers, body and soul – as was she.

New memories can be as good as some very old ones.


End file.
